The Bible Needs No Interpretation?

Baptists made big news again earlier in the summer. I am speaking of the Southern Baptists (our church belongs to the American Baptist Churches/USA). At their national convention in Orlando, they went on record as being against the ordination of women as church pastors. As significant as this action was, they took an even more radical action not as well noticed by the media. They radically revised the official SBC statement of faith and practice, “The Baptist Faith and Message.”

The previous version of the statement identified Jesus as the “criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted.” This statement was dropped from the newly adopted version.

If not Jesus, what criterion do we use to interpret scripture? Is the implication that scripture does not need to be interpreted? That we can always take it at face value? That idea can lead to all kinds of mischief—like when Southern Baptists, at their first national meeting, declared slavery to be God-ordained because the Bible says, “Slaves obey your masters.” (Ephesians 6:5)

Wayne Ward, a former professor of mine, told the delegates at the meeting:

The Bible is not a “flat” document. You could follow Moses and stone adulterers. It would clear out Congress and empty some pulpits, but it would not be true to words of Jesus in the New Testament...

The Bible is Scripture, God's written word, yes, but it does not say anywhere believe on the Bible and thou shalt be saved... We have to decide whether we're going to stop in the Old Testament with Moses or whether we're going to go on and interpret Moses by Jesus.

The Bible can be trusted, but it cannot always be taken at face value. It must be interpreted. The only valid standard of interpretation for the Christian is Jesus (“What would Jesus do?”). Of course we know Jesus through scripture, but not just through scripture. We also know Jesus through his Spirit which is here to guide us and lead us into all truth (John 15:12-13) We wrestle not with written words alone but with the living Christ.

2000 C. David Hess